Radio frequency identification and tagging for implantable medical devices and medical device systems

• US 20070018810A1
• Filed: 07/20/2005
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Hoyme, Kenneth, Simms, Howard, Smythe, Alan
• Granted Patent: US 7,429,920 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.120
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry

Abstract

Systems and methods for radio frequency identification and tagging of implantable medical devices and their components are disclosed. A preferred embodiment includes tagging a device and its components with manufacturing information relating to the device and it components and with information identifying a patient using the device. The information can be automatically transmitted or extracted from the device when the device or its components come into communication range of an external programmer or other device adapted to read or sense the RFID information. Some embodiments of a system disclosed herein can also be configured as a component of an Advanced Patient Management System that helps better monitor, predict and manage chronic diseases.

Claims

1. A medical device system comprising a plurality of components, including:

a. a plurality of radio frequency identification tags, wherein each of said tags is associated with one of the plurality of components and includes information specific to said one of the plurality of components to which said tag is associated;

b. a communications module, operatively connected to each identification tag, adapted to transmit an activation signal to each of said tags; and

c. an identification module, operatively connected to said communications module, adapted to automatically identify each of the plurality of radio frequency identification tags.

2. The medical device system of claim 1, wherein said information specific to a plurality of components of the system includes manufacturing information.

3. The medical device system of claim 1, wherein said information specific to a plurality of components of the system includes associated tagging information.

4. The medical device system of claim 1, wherein said identification tags further include information associated with a patient.

5. The medical device system of claim 1, further including an external medical device.

6. The medical device system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of components further includes an implantable medical device.

7. The medical device system of claim 6, wherein the implantable medical device comprises an internal sensor.

8. The medical device system of claim 6, wherein the implantable medical device includes the identification module.

9. The medical device system of claim 7, wherein the implantable medical device comprises a communications module.

10. The medical device system of claim 9, wherein the implantable medical device is adapted to communicate with at least one of said plurality of components comprising the medical device system.

11. The medical device system of claim 10, wherein the at least one of said plurality of components comprises a stent.

12. The medical device of claim 10, wherein at least one of said plurality of components comprises a lead.

13. The medical device system of claim 1, wherein the identification module is housed within a kiosk.

14. The medical device system of claim 1, wherein the communications module comprises an external sensor.

15. The medical device system of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a communicative network of sensors.

16. The medical device system of claim 1, wherein the medical device system comprises a component of an Advanced Patient Management including a plurality of medical data databases.

17. The medical device system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of medical data databases include patient data databases.

18. A medical device system comprised of a plurality of medical device components, further comprising:

a. a plurality of radio frequency identification tags, wherein each of said plurality of tags is associated with one of the plurality of medical device components, and includes information specific to the associated medical device component;

b. an identification module operatively communicating with the plurality of radio frequency identification tags and adapted to identify each of the plurality of radio frequency identification tags; and

c. an communications module operatively communicating with the identification module and adapted to communicate the identified plurality of radio frequency identification tags to a system processor operatively connected to the communications module.

19. A method of using the system of claim 18 comprising the steps of:

a. tagging the components with unique radio frequency identification tags;

b. automatically identifying the radio frequency identification tags of the components;

c. communicating the identified components to a computer database; and

d. analyzing the identified components.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of tagging the components with unique radio frequency identification tags includes tagging the component with an RFID tag that identifies a patient.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of tagging the component with an RFID tag that identifies a patient includes identifying the patient.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of communicating the identified components to a computer database includes automatically engaging such communication when the components come into operational proximity of the communications module.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of analyzing the identified components includes comparing the components of a plurality of patients using an Advanced Patient Management system.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of analyzing the identified component includes analyzing a stored value in the component.

25. A method of using the system of claim 18 comprising the steps of:

a. tagging each of the plurality of components with a unique radio frequency identification tag;

b. automatically identifying the radio frequency identification tags associated with each of the plurality of components;

c. storing information in a radio frequency tag of the identified component;

d. communicating the identified component information to a computer database; and

e. analyzing the identified components and its information.